


I Know You

by falliamridley



Category: Dynasty (TV 2017)
Genre: But not before him and Laura do some really messed up stuff, Eventual Adam take down, F/M, Nightmares, PTSD, Temporary Amnesia, season 3 divergence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-16 12:21:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21270956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/falliamridley/pseuds/falliamridley
Summary: "I am so sorry Fallon." He stood up straight, retaining eye contact with her. "What my Mom did to you, what I said…""-Wasn't your fault. Okay? Your Mom however I suspect of being the devil incarnate."Post 3x02.





	I Know You

His memories had been coming back to him in fragments all day.

It started in the morning when he heard a song playing on the radio and he found if he concentrated hard enough that his mind could summon where he'd heard it before.

All of a sudden he found his mind transported to a party in the Carrington manor with the regular glitz and glam, but why was his Uncle Max there?

_It was something about the company. She was selling the company._

Keeping with that train of thought, he even recollected being with her in New York, which was something Fallon hadn't mentioned in the hospital but was a fact which seemed significant. It was patchy and seemed like a dream, calling her his wife but knowing they weren't together.

Then there was another party, but this time everyone was wearing masks and there were 2 Fallon's. One was regular Fallon and the other one was… slightly off. He couldn't remember anything further.

Shaking his head, he began to question if the memory was even real because it was so bizarre.

But then, a few minutes later, he could remember being in a restaurant with his mother sat across from him and very clearly stating "You might as well accept that this relationship is going to end and I'm just trying to save you the pain of _another_ divorce."

A flicker of anger sparked in his gut, recalling his defensive response, "All right, you know what, Mom? Stop. We are together and your lawsuit isn't going to work, so if you want to stay in my life you're just going to have to accept that Fallon's a part of it too." Then _she_ placed her hand over his and he was instantly calmed by her physical touch.

That memory took his breath away a little, it felt much more recent and _real_. There was very little context as he tried but failed to summon the events surrounding it. However, he couldn't dismiss this one, he'd felt his frustration at Laura, and his need to protect his decision to be with Fallon.

On reflection, he realised that he'd fell for her so hard that he was willing to give up his family to be with her, something he wasn't sure he would do for Ashley.

He sighed, taking a seat on his bed. _Ashley._

She was currently on her way back from New York, he was going to pick her up from the airport later that day and his Mom had convinced him that he should greet her with an engagement ring.

This retrograde amnesia placed him exactly 2 years ago where he had to admit that even then, his relationship with Ashley wasn't fantastic. Yet on paper, it seemed so perfect. They had the history, the family ties, but something was missing. There was a lack of spark and chemistry that he guessed he must have felt with Fallon, and he felt his heart sink in the realisation that he might never get the opportunity to feel that again. And after all, he cared for Ashley and clearly, her feelings for him hadn't changed in 2 years, so he tried to convince himself that maybe that was enough.

His thoughts were quickly interrupted when the song on the radio changed and his mind placed him in a Porsche, smiling as the driver sang along to a cheesy boy band song and he was refusing to sing along with her, but Fallon was headstrong and determined, so of course he did end up singing along -badly.

_"I think you're the singer between the two of us."_

_She laughed, her smile lighting up her whole face._

_"You're not even trying! I saw the pictures from when you were the lead in Grease in high school, remember?"_

_"Damn it! When did my Mom show you those?"_

_She tapped her nose, smiling brazenly._

_"Siri, play the Grease soundtrack." The intro to ‘You're The One That I Want' played through the speakers. Liam facepalmed, groaning with embarrassment._

_Fallon turned to him, winking. "Tell me about it, stud."_

_"Ughhh, okay fine." Then right on cue, he sang with enthusiasm, "I've got chills they're multiplying…"_

That had seemed to be a happy moment between the two of them, like a second of tranquillity between their otherwise dramatic lives. His heart ached for them, as he wished he could just reach inside his brain and get it all back.

For a second, he let a spark of hope ignite, wondering if maybe these few memories he had gained this morning were the start of just that.

Seconds later, his Mom walked past his room carrying an emerald sequin handbag and he saw Fallon, in a dress of the same colour, in the middle of the hallway and she was smiling at him, sheepishly.

"I see you, Fallon Carrington." He'd said before gently kissing her.

_Woah._

"Liam?" Laura tapped him on the shoulder, concern written on her face. "Are you alright? You look pale."

When he looked her in the eyes his immediate gut reaction screamed at him to distrust her. He wasn't sure if that was on account of regaining some of his memories or if it was his subconscious but he decided that he didn't want to tell her the truth. 

He didn't even want to risk calling his neurologist to book an emergency appointment, despite the returning memories being a sign that his condition was improving.

Honestly, the only person he wanted to talk to about it was Fallon. He felt a strong compulsion to see her and verify if these memories were real and more importantly if these feelings that were resurfacing were real.

Except it might be difficult to talk to her because a week ago, he completely broke her heart.

It was when he was still in the hospital and his Mom hadn't left his side, as a result, Fallon hadn't been to see him for a few days. Sitting in silence, and with nothing to do his mind began to wander and he'd considered that maybe his Mom's warnings had some truth to them. That maybe Fallon had been lying about their relationship and that it wasn't the epic love story she'd painted it to be. Why else would she be avoiding seeing Laura? It seemed like she had a counter-claim to everything Fallon had to say.

Then, on top of that, the doctors had told him that considering his amnesia had hardly improved, that the chances of overcoming the condition seemed slim and rather than let Fallon continue to hold onto a relationship he couldn't even remember, he thought it was best to tell her that there was little hope, and to move on.

So when Laura finally left for a few hours for a manicure, Fallon had seized the opportunity and slipped into his room, bringing with her a cake that she claimed might remind him of "a good time" she'd said, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

At the time, it had felt so tempting to go along with her, but he knew he had to resist.

From the stories he'd been told about her, he genuinely hadn't expected Fallon's reaction when he'd said "I need space. I'm not sure I'm ever going to get my memories back and I think it's only fair for you to move on."

Laura had, on multiple occasions, used the exact words "manipulative, selfish, stone-cold bitch," to describe Fallon. Ashley, on the other hand, had gone for, "a sociopathic liar, without an empathetic bone in her body." Which wasn't exactly the woman he had seen for his own eyes, but he had known her for a matter of minutes, and he'd figured it was easy to fool someone in that amount of time.

So when he'd seen tears well up in Fallon's eyes he'd been surprised. He was even more surprised when she took his hand and said, "I get it. I come on a little strong and I have been pushing you to remember me which isn't fair on you. But before I go, I just need to say something to you, the _real_ you. When your memories come back, which they will and we'll prove yet again that we can overcome anything, I'll be waiting for you. Because…" She took a hesitant breath in. "Because I love you, no matter what."

Liam didn't know what to say, he felt compelled to tell her that he loved her too but when logic took over he knew he shouldn't, that it would be cruel to toy with her like that. So he elected to say nothing, and leaned in when she placed a kiss on his forehead and whispered "goodbye."

Then, before his very eyes, he saw her blink the tears back and put on a smile. It was like watching her put on a physical mask, and he realised at that moment that if people couldn't see the real Fallon Carrington, they weren't looking hard enough.

Then when she walked out, every instinct in his body was telling him to go after her, but he couldn't.

Now he wished he had.

It all started to make sense now.

Maybe people genuinely did believe all of those things about Fallon, but one thing had become abundantly clear, he was one of the only people who had the privilege of truly seeing Fallon Carrington for who she is.

If only he could remember everything.

His memories were still so fragmented that he still couldn't remember exactly how he felt about her. He figured the more memories he could resurface, the better. He decided to start with an obvious one which would test his theory and if correct, expose Laura for her lies; the engagement.

"Liam?" Laura's voice pierced through his reverie, bringing him back to the present moment.

"Yeah, maybe I just need to lie down or something."

"I think that's probably a good idea, after all, you're going to need your strength for Ashley and the big announcement tonight."

Liam put on a fake smile.

"Yeah." He allowed his Mom to guide him into the bed, she pulled the comforter over him, tucking him in fondly as if he was a child. Which was ironic, considering when he was a child she'd never tucked him into bed.

"Mom, before you go, I've been meaning to ask. Could I use Dad's ring for the wedding?"

Laura's hands immediately went to her chest, as if in the protection of the ring. Liam noticed her hesitation, so added, "It's just, Dan's coming from New York too, he'll be best man and he's going to want to take care of the rings." 

Speaking of the up-and-coming ‘Van-Cunningham' wedding seemed to have reassured Laura so she obliged. Gently, she unclipped the chain from around her neck and placed it in Liam's palm. He thanked her and asked for a moment of privacy so he could rest.

He had waited until she was completely out of sight until he looked at the ring.

He held it between his thumb and forefinger, concentrating hard on carefully inspecting the intricate detail.

Liam willed his mind to remember the last time he had appreciated the piece of jewellery, and curiously, his mind began to replace his own hands with smaller ones with red polished nails, and slowly he could vision the memory clearly in his mind. 

They were in a boat, on the lake on a warm, sunny day and he'd examined the ring between her fingers, recognising it instantly.

"Is that my Dad's ring?"

"Mhhm."

"How did you-"

"-I might have paid a maid to steal it from your Mom's house but let's save the Q&A for after, I'm kind of in the middle of something here."

Fallon was a vision in a red and white dress and a huge sun hat, and he laughed because _of course, Fallon was wearing a hat_. She'd looked so nervous as she held it in her hands, and said, "Liam, marry me again, for real this time."

Unexpectedly, like a crushing tidal wave, he felt a rush of emotion hit him all at once as he recalled feeling so elated whilst he was in that boat. He felt everything at once, surprise, joy, shock as the ring fell to the bottom of the lake, but most importantly, the love and adoration he felt for Fallon Carrington.

He felt it so intensely that it took his breath away.

He shook his head, cursing _how did I ever forget this?_

He'd been so madly in love for Fallon for so long that he was genuinely stunned to realise that even for a few weeks he had forgotten how deeply he felt for her.

He savoured the feeling for a moment, becoming overwhelmed with the need to see her before a thought made his heart sink.

His Mom had the ring.

This ring had fallen to the bottom of the lake.

She'd said that she hadn't taken the ring off since his Dad died, which was a blatant lie that she told to convince him that Fallon was a liar who couldn't be trusted. Because of his Mom, he'd hurt Fallon in the process.

_That bitch._

Liam saw red.

He stormed downstairs with intent, finding his mother lounging on a sofa.

"You've really outdone yourself this time haven't you, Mom?" He accused once he'd approached her. She startled and turned, standing quickly.

"Excuse me?"

"How did you get this ring?" He held it up for her to see.

Laura rolled her eyes, clearly inconvenienced. 

"Oh not this again, how did she manage to contact you? I thought I'd blocked her number from your phone. Look, she is just trying to poison your mind." She attempted to dismiss his frenzied questioning, assuming Fallon had somehow exploited her security attempts to keep her at bay, however, the nonchalance only furthered Liam's anger who shook his head in dismay.

"-Stop lying, Mom!" His frustration had truly risen to the surface, evident in the harsh tone of his voice and the sound of blood pumping in his ears. "That _she_ that you're referring to is the love of my life and the last time I saw this ring it was drifting to the bottom of a lake, so tell me how you got it."

Laura blinked, surprised.

"You remember her?" She had evaded the previous question, but this seemed like a more pressing matter. Liam regaining his memories was now a new set of challenges for her, and it sent a release of anxiety coursing through her veins.

"Yeah, I remember her, which means that I also know that for the past 2 weeks you have been manipulating me and have completely taken advantage of how vulnerable I was. You painted her in my mind as some kind of psycho stalker, when _you_ are the psycho one."

Ordinarily, Liam would have felt instantly guilty for saying such hard words to his already fragile-state-of minded mother, but right now, he couldn't have cared less about her feelings. In his eyes, she was playing her same old manipulative tricks which forced him to run away from New York in the first place.

"Don't you dare speak to your Mother like that." She raised her hand, intending to strike him across the face, but Liam caught her wrist before she could make an impact.

"Really? You think slapping me is going to beat me into submission, I'm not 6 years old anymore Mom. Or did you think I'd forgotten about that too?"

He let go of her wrist and turned, unable to look her in the eyes as repressed memories resurfaced of all of the horrendous things Laura had done to him over his lifetime. Placing his hands on his hips, he breathed a laugh as he realised that as much as his Mom had continued to control his life, he had inadvertently let it happen through omission. His hopes that maybe one day Laura would be content with seeing her son be happy and successful were worthless, _pathetic even_.

"You know what?" He angled himself back in her direction, "I have forgiven you for far too much over the years. Abandoning me in Aspen, not letting me have a say in the adoption, and not to mention the countless times you've told me that my writing sucks," Then unexpectedly, that triggered another vague memory to spring into his mind, "oh my god, the cancer. You pretended to have cancer didn't you?"

"I…" The words died on her lips. He shook his head in disbelief.

"You are unbelievable. And now this. I just don't get it, Mom. What did I do to you to make you despise seeing me happy?"

Laura sprung forward, attempting to take Liam's hand but he recoiled.

"I do want you to be happy."

"Yeah but on _your_ terms, with Ashley, right? Because you two are the perfect partners in crime. What did you think was going to happen when I got my memories back anyway?"

"I was hoping that you would see that the life that you left behind in New York was the perfect one. That you and Ashley belong together, with me."

Liam smiled, tightly. He realised that Laura genuinely believed what she was saying, and in that truth, there was no way he would ever be able to convince her unless he simply left. Coming to that conclusion seemed to have drained the anger out of him and left him feeling only pity for the woman stood in front of him.

"Well, you've just made it my life's mission to prove you wrong. Because this is it. I'm walking out of here, I'm going to get my girl back, and I am never going to speak to you again."

He was almost at the door before she made another desperate attempt to stop him.

"She wouldn't want you to do this."

Part of him didn't want to take the bait, but considering his mind was already firmly made up he figured that he could at least see what she had to say. He turned.

"What?"

"Fallon, she told me that she doesn't want you to hate your mother."

"Yeah? Well, Fallon is going to stand by any decision that I make, because she loves me unconditionally. Unlike you. Oh, and one more thing." He said, placing his father's ring on his finger with determination. "I'm keeping the ring."

And with that, he turned and slammed the door shut.

* * *

The Carrington estate was eerily quiet when he arrived just after sunset. Entering the manor, no one could be seen, not even the staff who were usually present.

Glancing around, it occurred to him that this was the first time he had been back here since the accident, he was surprised Fallon hadn't tried to bring him back here, as he wandered through the house memories were intruding into his brain at a pace he was struggling to keep up with.

The sight of the piano caused a lump in his throat to form, recalling the last conversation he'd had with Fallon there. His Mom had told him about the Trixie fiasco, it was one of the smoking guns she'd used to convince him to stay away from her. Emotion welled up inside him as he realized he'd left Fallon to have to deal with all of that, alone. Looking back at when she took him to the courthouse he understood now why she was so desperate for him to remember her, she needed him and he wasn't there for her like he'd promised he would be.

"Liam?"

Blake's voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned, seeing his past Father-in-Law, dressed casually, in a blue robe.

"Blake." He regarded the man. "I'm looking for Fallon."

"She's at a party, at Colby's Club I think."

Wasting no time, Liam made a start to leave the manor, saying a quick thank you in reply.

"Hey, just before you go-" Blake called after him, causing Liam to stop in his tracks. "Are you getting your memories back?"

"Yeah. Rapidly, and in absolutely no logical order."

Blake, in a rare moment of honesty, threw him a sympathetic look. "Well thank god for that. Not, that because you're probably very confused right now, but that you're getting them back." He explained. "Fallon has been rather… unhinged since your accident, which is kind of me to say." Liam nodded in understanding. "But you're good for her." Blake approached the younger man, his hand was outstretched. "I look forward to walking her down the aisle to you. At least I'll get the chance this time."

Liam, surprised by the words and gesture, took the offered hand and shook it firmly. "Thank you."

Blake pulled his hand back, forming it into a finger pointing at him. "Don't go breaking her heart, again."

_Ouch._

"I didn't plan on it."

Blake nodded. "I know." He gestured towards the door, "go get her back."

Nodding curtly, Liam turned on his heels and left hastily, telling the driver to get to Club Colby, quickly. 

* * *

His first instinct upon entering the club was to scan the crowd in search for his fiancé.

Within seconds, he spotted her looking flawless as ever. She was wearing a strapless dress, which sparkled silver under the lights and she was smiling brightly as she danced.

He couldn't see her dance partner until he managed to wade closer through the crowd.

Once he could get a clear view, his heart stopped.

She was dancing with another man, one he'd never seen before but it was evident that he knew her. He was dancing close, and the expression on his face clearly showed he was enjoying it. 

He stood there for a moment, seeing the two of them as he felt his world crumble.

He knew there was no way he could be angry with her, he had explicitly told her to move on; that didn't mean it didn't hurt to see her happy with someone else.

The way he saw it, he had 2 choices; leave now to not make a fool of himself and let Fallon live the rest of her life, or fight for her again. He shook his head, cursing himself for even considering for a second that he wasn't going to at least _try_ to win her back, especially not after when she had finally said those 3 all-important words to him in the hospital. Plus, he'd won her over Culhane, this guy didn't stand a chance.

Plucking up the courage, he marched straight up to the pair with intent, when he reached the couple he stuck his arm between the two of them, saying a quick "excuse me," to the man, forcing him away so he could cut in between them.

"Hey -what the?" He yelled in response, but Liam ignored him completely, focusing only on the woman in his arms. He looked into her eyes, making sure she could tell that the Liam looking back at her was _her_ Liam.

"Liam?" It happened so fast that it seemed to take Fallon a second to register what had happened.

"Hey, Fal." He said briefly before slightly ducking his head to catch her lips with his own.

She responded eagerly, her hands moving to caress either side of his face, as if on instinct. For a moment, they let themselves get lost in the kiss and the familiarity of each other. With every push of her lips against his, he pulled her tighter to him, the proximity of her triggered a memory of a passionate kiss they'd shared at the launch party for the Atlantix.

He couldn't stay with the memory for long as sense hit Fallon and she pulled away from the kiss but remained in his embrace.

"Wait wait wait, Liam. Does this mean you remember me?" She inquired, the hope evident in her eyes. He lifted his hand, running his fingers through her hair and pushing a strand behind her ear, smiling.

"Yeah." She beamed, looking slightly relieved. He spoke slowly, choosing his next words wisely. "I remember enough, enough to know that I know you, and I know that I was married to you, I know that we had a fake relationship for a while, I know that I wrote a book about us and that we're engaged and most importantly, I know that I am madly and deeply in love with you."

She rushed forwards again, taking possession of his lips. Liam let every unspoken word of love for her pour out into the kiss, hoping she could feel every emotion he felt for her, including an apology.

Once they pulled apart, Fallon rested her forehead against his, breathing simultaneously.

"You took your damn time."

"I am so sorry Fallon." He stood up straight, retaining eye contact with her. "What my Mom did to you, what _I_ said…"

"-Wasn't your fault. Okay? Your Mom however I suspect of being the devil incarnate."

Liam chuckled, "Yeah you're probably right about that. But," He moved his hands from the small of her back to being in between the two of them, "I did manage to hustle _this_." He held up his left hand, clearly showing the ring on his finger to her, "from her before I told her to never contact me again. That is if you still want to…"

Fallon placed her finger on his lips, smirking. "Don't ask stupid questions." 

Leaning forward, she replaced her finger with her lips in a chaste kiss, firmly answering his question. She moved her head to his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "do you remember the last time we were here?"

Liam looked around briefly, before settling his focus on the far corner towards the stage and _of course_, "the divorce party?"

He felt Fallon smile against his skin. She retreated, taking his hand and moving them towards Monica's office. "Wanna finish what we started?"


End file.
